North Indian Province

since 1967

Lived Charism

We, Holy Cross Sisters of North Indian Province, are scattered in five different states of North India and in one state of North East India. Where as the people in North India are mostly Hindus and Muslims, people of North East are mostly Tribal Christians whose culture, language and traditions are entirely different from those of North India. Our ministry among the underdeveloped section of the population in this multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural setting is a challenging one.

Our focal points are:

Holistic Health care and Holistic Education for improving the quality of life of the rural population

Institutional Health care extending to the surrounding villages

Treatment and eradication of tuberculosis, leprosy and other preventable diseases

Hospice care for terminally-ill cancer and AIDS patients

Care of polio-affected handicapped children through surgical correction and rehabilitation

Educating local girls in Nursing schools for promoting health care through local persons

Promoting education of rural children; non-formal education of children and adults; providing rural children a home away from home for the purpose of educating them

Comprehensive Rural development programmes including fighting against oppressive structures of society like dowry system, exploitation of women and exploitation of the poor, child labour.

Ministry to prisoners

Pastoral ministry among Catholics in remote parts of the parishes

We engage ourselves in liberating, life-promoting and life-enriching services in villages far away from modern civilization and in slums and cities where people are deprived of basic rights and necessities of life. Our holistic approach to health care and to the education of the young are showing signs of positives changes in the lives of the people.

We Holy Cross sisters in North India live in Diaspora. The people in this area are mostly Hindus. In the beginning the people regarded us as enemies.

Even though there are hardly any Christians we seemed to have made a deep impression on our Hindu, Moslem and Sikh patients and their relatives by our concern for their spiritual as well as physical needs in hospitals. We have erected a huge crucifix at the main entrance of the hospital and every Sunday evening we gather there and pray for all our patients. As we continued with this practice more and more doctors, nurses, relatives of patients, together with those who are sick gathered there with us. All join in to pray for healing of body and soul.

We begin with the traditional "Arati" consisting of a ritual presentation of flowers, incense and light. This is accompanied by music and rhythmic movements. A sister reads the Gospel which then is dramatised. We invite anybody who wishes to share their worries and concerns, joys and hopes. This shared experience leads to a real sense of community between the local people and the sisters.